First impression: 2013 Honda Accord

RonAmadon

NEW YORK (MarketWatch) — Honda, which makes the second- best-selling car in the U.S., believes it’s is best to be conservative when it comes to freshening the design.

“Looks just the old one,” my wife said when she saw a photo of the 2013 Accord. In the spirit of full disclosure: She owns a ’98 Accord and won’t part with it.

Your first reaction to the exterior styling for 2013 might echo hers.

“This launch is a big deal for us,” said Michael Accavitti, vice president of national marketing operations for Honda, adding that the competition is “more closely packed than ever before.” Honda made the new Accord models available to automotive writers at a product introduction.

Honda
HMC, -2.70%
(7267) must keep up with increasing pressure from the Toyota Camry, Nissan Altima and the upcoming Ford Fusion, not to mention the Chevy Malibu, Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata and VW Passat.

So Honda wasn’t not able to stand pat or, on the other hand, radically alter things. That resulted in the familiar look of the Accord’s exterior styling.

Inside, Honda did its best to create a touch or three of luxury with some new gadgets along with a new one-piece dash panel. The new seats seem abundantly comfortable, and there is ample room for tall folks both front and rear, despite the fact that the new Accord is about 3 inches shorter than the old model. Reshaping the design allowed Honda to also slightly increase trunk space to 15.8 cubic feet.

Vital controls will be familiar to any Honda or Acura owner, with a standard equipment eight-inch color display screen atop the center stack and a second, smaller screen below it on some models.

One nifty safety addition is a camera attached to the outside rearview mirror, with its image reflected in the mirror or the center-stack display. The value of blind-spot reduction device quickly became evident in dealing with Manhattan traffic

There is also a cloud-based system that will connect owners to Bluetooth and Pandora. It will team with a smartphone for traffic updates, restaurant information and Harman’s “Aha” for additional Web-based info, including the ability to read back messages on Facebook and Twitter for those who can’t be out of touch.

Honda claims its “Earth Dream” technology in the 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine will reduce emissions and improve gas mileage. The 185-horsepower engine, up from 177 last year, marks Honda’s first use of direct injection in the U.S., and it claims up to 36 mpg on the highway. That 185 horsepower is at 6,400 rpm, with the Sport trim model upping horsepower by four to 189 with the same torque figure — 181 pound-feet at 4,000 rpm. There is a new continuously variable transmission or a six-speed manual.

Still with us is the 3.5-liter V-6, good for 278 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 252 pound-feet of torque at 4,900 rpm. It is said to be 3.5% lighter. A six-speed automatic is standard. A six-speed manual is an option on the slick-looking Accord coupe that has redesigned bucket seats to die for. The V-6 is expected to return an EPA highway mileage of 34 mpg.

Early next year, Honda plans to unveil a 2014 plug-in hybrid Accord sedan with a 2-liter inline four that will run 10-15 miles in all-electric mode, with a range of more than 500 miles. Honda officials weren’t ready to compare gas mileage for the plug-in hybrid with a base model, standard-shift, gas- powered Accord four. Honda expects the plug-in to achieve 100 mpg-equivalent, compared with say Chevy Volt’s 94 equivalency rating. Honda also promises a more traditional hybrid Accord in the summer of 2013.

While the plug-in will come in just one trim, the remainder of the line will offer LX, Sport, EX, EX-L V6 and Touring trim selections. The top of the line Touring is new for 2013.

All Accords get a new front suspension with MacPherson struts replacing the double-wishbone design. Honda claims it is lighter and reduces noise and vibration.

The new Accord sedan is 191.4 inches long compared with the 2012 at 194; 72.8 inches wide with a 109.3 inch wheelbase compared with 73 inches wide on a 110-inch wheelbase. The new one is 57.7 inches high, down a trifle from 58 inches.

The base prices: $21,680 for a bottom line LX with manual transmission (up $200); $24,605 base for the EX Manual, also up $200; $27,995 for the EX-L CVT; $30,070 for EX-L V-6 automatic (up $340); and $33,430 base for the Touring.

The Accord sedan goes on sale Wednesday; the coupe on Oct 15 and the PHEV in early 2013. The sedan and coupe are assembled in Marysville, Ohio; the plug-in hybrid in Sayama, Japan.

While driving impressions will have to wait for a full test, it appears the 2013 Accord will be a strong competitor in the dog-eat-dog midsize market segment.

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